10-18.
Today was a check off the list items for things I need to get done. Got the boat winterized, storage items and kayaks all put away and got a jump on clearing out parts of our garage so we park the van in there over winter. With the kids bikes and my inability to find a good spot for stuff in my garage- it has been a bit of a disaster. My hope is that while lifting restrictions are in place I can think about some better planning and take time for doing some light work reorganizing.
Funny Star Trek IV reference I saw on TV today when flipping through the channels.
(I choose the danger)
Sorry for all the Star Trek references- but the timeliness was too much to pass up. They had to “transplant” Spock’s contra, (his mind, being, character) from McCoy back to Spock.
What is the “contra” of what I’m giving? What is the personality of my kidney anyway and will any piece of that / me go with it? Beyond that when / if I get to meet the recipient, what words of wisdom or hope can I give to that person? “My kidney likes going to church on Sunday, so don’t disappoint?” Perhaps they’d like to know that I’ve taken good care of the fella and because I’m such an agreeable person, hard worker, and people pleaser that I’m fairly certain the kidney will be a good helper to his new owner.
I’m very agreeable and easy going, perhaps my kidney will do well to exhibit those same traits in the new recipient. I’m just not sure what else to call this other person. Since the donor exchange option was a go, I have thought often about this person. Calling them ‘recipient’ seems a bit distant when a literal part of my body will soon be a critical life component of theirs. I almost feel like if I ask, “is this other recipient a human?” I still might get, “I’m sorry I cannot answer that”.
Think about what pieces of ourselves we give to others all the time. Our time, our energy, our thoughts. Maybe our loathing or unforgiveness. Perhaps we’ve given awesome parts of ourselves and our lives and perhaps we’ve given the worst of ourselves to others. Either way, like my kidney, I’ll never get it back. That’s a physical example. Spiritual and emotional pieces of ourselves are given freely or taken by others all the time, every day. This is a human condition, but not one that is unbeknownst to God! He gives us the ability to choose how we can give to and serve others. After all is said and done, at the end of our lives what type of legacy do we want to leave behind?
Tomorrow, at our 6th grade community group, I’m preparing to tell my table why I won’t be able to make it to the retreat this coming weekend and be one of their group/cabin leaders. While I debated this deeply within myself, my hope is that by sharing this experience with them, I can open the door further to build trust, respect, and openness. Maybe this can challenge them to think deeply and see a different perspective on what it looked like in my life, in real time, as I was called to pursue this path.